Rick Jakious, a candidate in the 6th Congressional District race, told the Swampscott Tides that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons is the epitome of “corruption in Washington, D.C.”
“When you look at Todd Lyons, he’s the perfect example of how Donald Trump has not only corrupted the system but also the people within it,” Jakious said.
Jakious penned an op-ed in the Lynn Item over the weekend, detailing his experience working with Lyons during Trump’s first administration, when Lyons oversaw ICE operations in New England.
While serving as district director for Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) — whose seat will soon be vacant and which Jakious is seeking — Jakious said he “fielded frantic emergency calls nearly every day from immigrants and their attorneys.” Jakious worked with Lyons, who he said in the op-ed “understood that the point of immigration enforcement is not to execute mass roundups of long-time community members but to focus on dangerous criminals.”
Jakious told the Swampscott Tides that Lyons was willing to work with him on the more “gray area” cases. Now, eight years later, Jakious said Lyons is “willing to sacrifice his values and decency in pursuit for his own political gain.”
“Now he’s actively defending mass raids…and agents entering homes without warrants,” Jakious said.
ICE has made thousands of arrests since President Donald Trump returned to the White House for his second term. Since the beginning of 2026, ICE has ramped up enforcement, resulting in a record number of detentions and deportations. In January, there were two fatal shootings in Minneapolis as well, of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good and 37-year-old Alex Pretti.
The enforcement agency was formed in 2002 as part of the Homeland Security Act, in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The act created the Department of Homeland Security, and ICE was one of its subsidiaries. The overall agency’s mission is around both public safety and national security. ICE’s use of actions are governed by the Constitution, general law, and the Department of Homeland Security’s guidelines.
Minnesota officials have sued the Trump administration in an attempt to block the agents in their state. In Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey filed a bill last week to block ICE from making arrests in courthouses, schools, day cares, hospitals and health clinics. She also signed an executive order to restrict state agencies from entering into new partnerships with ICE.
In Swampscott, protestors held signs that opposed Trump and ICE as part of a nationwide walkout on Tuesday, January 20. A special demonstration — in addition to the weekly Swampscott Thursday protests — took place in Marblehead last weekend in remembrance of Pretti and “all the others who have been innocently murdered,” according to organizer Michael Paquette.
Jakious told the Swampscott Tides that “people should be more than afraid.”
“They should be prepared,” he said. “Maybe it won’t happen here. Maybe it will be a different version, but people should be ready.”
Jakious is meeting with groups in Lynn on Thursday to discuss preparations and support for the community. He said, however, that if anything were to happen in the area, he would “absolutely” be on the front lines with residents of the 6th District.
“If you want to be a leader in this community, you need to stand up with the community when they need it,” Jakious said. “There’s been a lot of community members who have stood up. Lawmakers need to as well.”
